Doing our update a little earlier today because the boys are needing some undivided attention
this evening and it's going to be an early-to-bed night for us. :)
Today we are thankful for our driver, Hamza. More on that later.
We didn't get to have Maggie today because we had an appointment with our attorneys, and there was some "event" at the orphanage (not sure what it was). So he picked us up at 10:00 and we went to the attorney office - wow, a world apart from an attorney office in the U.S. A tiny little house with 3 attorneys sharing one little room. But they were dressed to the nines and you can tell they take their jobs very seriously, which was a relief to us. They also speak very good English. Their names are Alice and Mark, and they took us through what will happen on Monday - parts of which blew us out of the water - mainly the part about Maggie having a BROTHER, who will be there, and will be questioned by the judge. We've not heard this before today. He's 6, and shares a mother with Maggie, but has a different father, whom he lives with. We were told that Maggie was offered to this man previously, but he wasn't interested in raising her. (Can you imagine?? His son is her brother!!??) So this little boy and his dad will be there to testify about the character of Maggie's mother. The woman Maggie was left with will also be there - and she's critical for our case - she's the "abandonment" witness, and also knows something about her mother.
They also explained that our judge is "flexible" with his time and doesn't think anything of making people wait hours - sometimes several - so while we are scheduled for 1:00, they said it could be "into the evening" before we get called. Ugggh. And of course we'll have all three kids. They told us to bring snacks, drinks, entertainment. I have anxiety just thinking about it.
Sidenote: yesterday, Bethany decided to change the Uganda program (nothing like us being right in the middle!!) - unbelievable. Remind me to NEVER EVER sign up for a "pilot program" again. Anyway, they are now recommending ONE six to eight week trip to complete the adoption process. Reason being, the passport office used to allow the attorneys to apply for the child's passport after receiving the court ruling (while the family is back in the U.S.) - however, have now changed their minds and want the adoptive parents present to apply for the passport. Which essentially means we would have to return 1-2 weeks after getting home.
So we had a conversation with Alice and Mark about that - - my Mark explained that with his job, being home only 1-2 weeks just isn't possible - and they assured us we could return whenever we'd like. So that was a relief. But that also means we're looking at the end of July for a return trip. Crazy!! Paul and LaRayne - Mark said to be sure to tell Grandma Shirley we will come to Willmar soon after our 2nd trip to celebrate her birthday. :(
Last, they gave us a "to-do" list today, which we joked was like getting a clue on the Amazing Race. It was a list of things we need to bring to court with us. We had to go to the Buganda Kingdom parliament (Uganda is part of the Buganda Kingdom, for which there is a king and queen and parliament - sounds similar to the arrangement in England) and purchase photos of the king and queen, get a "kingdom certificate" that gives us cultural names and a tribe (yes, now we have a tribe), and we had to take 2 "cultural" photos - showing us doing something cultural.
So Hamza took our list and got us everywhere we needed to go, translated for us, and even negotiated prices (he explained that many places will charge us more just because we are white - and we even witnessed that today). At one point we wanted to buy a "baby" soccer ball from a street seller for Maggie, and he wouldn't let us because they were charging us too much. Love him. Anyway, we ended up getting a LONG tour of parliament and an explanation of the kingdom - most of it was interesting but Jack was really struggling again with jet lag (and he even slept 11 hours last night!). After that, we had to get prints of some of the photos we took (to bring to the judge), so Hamza found a place that would print from our SD card. Phew.
Then he brought us back and we stayed here all afternoon and just relaxed. We're looking forward to protein bars for supper. :) Tomorrow morning before we pick up Maggie we have to go to the U.S. Embassy to pick up a physical form for her (which the U.S. Embassy requires for her visa), so Hamza's picking us up at 7:00 because he's worried about the traffic. (By the way, last night when he was attempting to deliver us to the mall, we got caught in a traffic jam, so decided to get out and walk the rest of the way. He told us this morning he sat in that spot for 1.5 hours after we left!!!!)
Lastly, I set up a Shutterfly site to post our pictures to - here's the address: http://5happycampers.shutterfly.com/ NOW, please do not share that with anyone - we don't want it distributed. Africa Day 2 is posted on there. Enjoy!
Specific prayer requests - please start praying that these witnesses for our case SHOW UP - if they don't, we're going to be in a mess. Please also pray that we would get in for our hearing quickly, and that the kids would remain patient while waiting. Please also pray that Jack would get over his jet lag. :) Thank you family - love you all dearly!! Anne :)
P.S. Mark read this before I sent it, and I think he's losing it - he was rolling on the bed laughing hysterically at all of this. All of this is so surreal!!!
Day 4
Hi family - the internet service is really bad here tonight, so hoping I can actually get this off to you . . .
Today was hard - we are tired, partly, I think, because you go through SO MANY emotions in one day here! And dropping Maggie off this evening didn't go well. :( But we'll start with the good parts! She is a riot - so fun to be around. We brought a new dress for her to wear today, and of course she gets so excited about new clothes! And yes, mom, we returned her to the orphanage with it on, so it will stay there. :) While we were there this morning, all the kids decided they wanted to do a "show" for us - singing and dancing, and I tell you, it was one of THE MOST precious things I've ever seen. You know the song "I am a Friend of God?" Can't remember right now who sings it, but they sang that, in English, with their ADORABLE African accents - it was priceless. I shot some "video" with my iPhone - we'll have to figure out how to get it to you guys. They all tied either long-sleeved shirts or pants around their waists, so you get more "bang for your buck" when you shake your hips. I seriously can't describe how cute it was. By the end we were singing with them. Interestingly enough (and possibly some foreshadowing), Maggie didn't participate much - preferred to stand by us.
Anyway, the four of us compiled a list of things we wanted to share with you about the day with Maggie:
- She can do somersaults (sp?) on the bed - and in Mark's opinion is very coordinated when it comes to playing catch and having "rhythm".
- The kids had the iPod on with the speakers, and by accident the Christmas song "Born is the King" by Hillsong came on, and she just lit up - started bopping her head around and dancing. By the end of the day she was singing to "do do do do" part! Christmas in June, in Africa. :)
- We think the indoor potty has become a novelty - she went like 6 times today, with a big grin each time, so we're thinking it was just fun for her.
- She got ahold of Mark's Uganda travel book and was enthralled by the section with pictures. We figured she probably hasn't seen many books, if any? So we went to the mall "bookstore" tonight (think more garage-sale-ish) and bought a couple picture books for her.
- She then hopped off the bed, took said book, and balanced it on her HEAD and walked across the room. Can you imagine our shock?
- This poor sweet girl is TIRED. She was here for a little over an hour and we could tell was struggling. So we got her to lay down, and sure enough, she was out for over 2 hours. It's obvious to us that she never has the opportunity for peace and quiet, and to be that comfortable. She LOVES pillows, which fits, because they don't have any at the orphanage.
- One negative, but not surprising, is she will hit when annoyed, and sometimes we can't even tell the reason. We know from training that this is totally typical - likely her survival and defense mechanism. We'll obviously work on it when we get home, but Jack wants it fixed NOW. :)
- We've discovered that sometimes its fun to just sit and watch what she'll do - let her lead, so to speak. I had a ponytail holder on my wrist, and she came up and took it off - put it on her wrist, and climbed on the bed behind me and proceeded to put my hair in a ponytail. Cutest thing ever. We were FLOORED. And of course laughing and praising her, but I think we got too loud because then she got scared. :(
- We got out the pictures we had printed to go in an album that we'll leave with her, and just went through a few of them. Our family picture is helpful in getting her to name us, which she did really well today. Then we got out a picture of Tucker, and she started laughing! Then came a picture of Murphy and she laughed harder. It was soooo cute. Can't IMAGINE what it will be like when she actually sees them.
So when we returned her, her "main" nanny was explaining to her that we'd be back in the morning. It didn't go well - the nanny told us she didn't want to stay there, she wanted to come with us. This is after only two full days with us! And exactly what I was worried about. I wouldn't want to stay there either. So please, please pray that God would protect her heart, give her peace, and give her some understanding that we'll be back.
Another interesting twist today - when we picked her up this morning, "mama" was there (the director), and she asked us if she could come with Maggie to our hotel and if we'd buy her lunch. ?!?!?? Stumbling on our words, we asked when, and she said "you pick." So we said Sunday, which she agreed upon, and we left. And I promptly got in touch with our attorney's office to see if this was normal, or what - they replied immediately and said NO, don't do that. (There are adoption laws in place that govern what we are allowed to give, or even gift to the orphanage and it's employees - it can't appear that we are "buying" a child, or paying for extra special care for her). They said they would call her and handle it, but we're a little bit worried now about what she thinks, and whether or not she'll cause a problem for us. Pray for that too! We need her to show up in court on Monday, and be favorable towards us.
Prior to all of THIS, we started our day at the U.S. Embassy - had to pick up a medical form that will need to be completed by a doctor after examining Maggie - which is required for our Embassy interview on our next trip. And let me tell you, that place is locked down like Fort Knox! Guards everywhere, and carrying machine guns! We weren't allowed to take ANYTHING with us inside except a bottle of water and our passports. (Talk about trusting Hamza - we left him with my purse and Mark's wallet!!). We think we counted 5 security checkpoints we had to go through! We were in and out fairly quickly, but while there, met another adoptive couple from Seattle - it was so GOOD to see some white people and carry on a conversation without struggle! They've been here THREE MONTHS trying to get their adoption completed - however, they have no agency, and had a terrible attorney. So we were thankful for Bethany and Nkwanga (the law firm)!! This family is staying really close to us, so we're going to get together on Sunday.
Whew! Ok, that's it, if you aren't asleep by now. I can't get our photos from yesterday and today to load, but will keep trying. Just keep checking the website. Love you all, and thank you again and again and again for your prayers! Anne :)
Day 5
Today we are thankful for our driver, Hamza. More on that later.
We didn't get to have Maggie today because we had an appointment with our attorneys, and there was some "event" at the orphanage (not sure what it was). So he picked us up at 10:00 and we went to the attorney office - wow, a world apart from an attorney office in the U.S. A tiny little house with 3 attorneys sharing one little room. But they were dressed to the nines and you can tell they take their jobs very seriously, which was a relief to us. They also speak very good English. Their names are Alice and Mark, and they took us through what will happen on Monday - parts of which blew us out of the water - mainly the part about Maggie having a BROTHER, who will be there, and will be questioned by the judge. We've not heard this before today. He's 6, and shares a mother with Maggie, but has a different father, whom he lives with. We were told that Maggie was offered to this man previously, but he wasn't interested in raising her. (Can you imagine?? His son is her brother!!??) So this little boy and his dad will be there to testify about the character of Maggie's mother. The woman Maggie was left with will also be there - and she's critical for our case - she's the "abandonment" witness, and also knows something about her mother.
They also explained that our judge is "flexible" with his time and doesn't think anything of making people wait hours - sometimes several - so while we are scheduled for 1:00, they said it could be "into the evening" before we get called. Ugggh. And of course we'll have all three kids. They told us to bring snacks, drinks, entertainment. I have anxiety just thinking about it.
Sidenote: yesterday, Bethany decided to change the Uganda program (nothing like us being right in the middle!!) - unbelievable. Remind me to NEVER EVER sign up for a "pilot program" again. Anyway, they are now recommending ONE six to eight week trip to complete the adoption process. Reason being, the passport office used to allow the attorneys to apply for the child's passport after receiving the court ruling (while the family is back in the U.S.) - however, have now changed their minds and want the adoptive parents present to apply for the passport. Which essentially means we would have to return 1-2 weeks after getting home.
So we had a conversation with Alice and Mark about that - - my Mark explained that with his job, being home only 1-2 weeks just isn't possible - and they assured us we could return whenever we'd like. So that was a relief. But that also means we're looking at the end of July for a return trip. Crazy!! Paul and LaRayne - Mark said to be sure to tell Grandma Shirley we will come to Willmar soon after our 2nd trip to celebrate her birthday. :(
Last, they gave us a "to-do" list today, which we joked was like getting a clue on the Amazing Race. It was a list of things we need to bring to court with us. We had to go to the Buganda Kingdom parliament (Uganda is part of the Buganda Kingdom, for which there is a king and queen and parliament - sounds similar to the arrangement in England) and purchase photos of the king and queen, get a "kingdom certificate" that gives us cultural names and a tribe (yes, now we have a tribe), and we had to take 2 "cultural" photos - showing us doing something cultural.
So Hamza took our list and got us everywhere we needed to go, translated for us, and even negotiated prices (he explained that many places will charge us more just because we are white - and we even witnessed that today). At one point we wanted to buy a "baby" soccer ball from a street seller for Maggie, and he wouldn't let us because they were charging us too much. Love him. Anyway, we ended up getting a LONG tour of parliament and an explanation of the kingdom - most of it was interesting but Jack was really struggling again with jet lag (and he even slept 11 hours last night!). After that, we had to get prints of some of the photos we took (to bring to the judge), so Hamza found a place that would print from our SD card. Phew.
Then he brought us back and we stayed here all afternoon and just relaxed. We're looking forward to protein bars for supper. :) Tomorrow morning before we pick up Maggie we have to go to the U.S. Embassy to pick up a physical form for her (which the U.S. Embassy requires for her visa), so Hamza's picking us up at 7:00 because he's worried about the traffic. (By the way, last night when he was attempting to deliver us to the mall, we got caught in a traffic jam, so decided to get out and walk the rest of the way. He told us this morning he sat in that spot for 1.5 hours after we left!!!!)
Lastly, I set up a Shutterfly site to post our pictures to - here's the address: http://5happycampers.shutterfly.com/ NOW, please do not share that with anyone - we don't want it distributed. Africa Day 2 is posted on there. Enjoy!
Specific prayer requests - please start praying that these witnesses for our case SHOW UP - if they don't, we're going to be in a mess. Please also pray that we would get in for our hearing quickly, and that the kids would remain patient while waiting. Please also pray that Jack would get over his jet lag. :) Thank you family - love you all dearly!! Anne :)
P.S. Mark read this before I sent it, and I think he's losing it - he was rolling on the bed laughing hysterically at all of this. All of this is so surreal!!!
Day 4
Hi family - the internet service is really bad here tonight, so hoping I can actually get this off to you . . .
Today was hard - we are tired, partly, I think, because you go through SO MANY emotions in one day here! And dropping Maggie off this evening didn't go well. :( But we'll start with the good parts! She is a riot - so fun to be around. We brought a new dress for her to wear today, and of course she gets so excited about new clothes! And yes, mom, we returned her to the orphanage with it on, so it will stay there. :) While we were there this morning, all the kids decided they wanted to do a "show" for us - singing and dancing, and I tell you, it was one of THE MOST precious things I've ever seen. You know the song "I am a Friend of God?" Can't remember right now who sings it, but they sang that, in English, with their ADORABLE African accents - it was priceless. I shot some "video" with my iPhone - we'll have to figure out how to get it to you guys. They all tied either long-sleeved shirts or pants around their waists, so you get more "bang for your buck" when you shake your hips. I seriously can't describe how cute it was. By the end we were singing with them. Interestingly enough (and possibly some foreshadowing), Maggie didn't participate much - preferred to stand by us.
Anyway, the four of us compiled a list of things we wanted to share with you about the day with Maggie:
- She can do somersaults (sp?) on the bed - and in Mark's opinion is very coordinated when it comes to playing catch and having "rhythm".
- The kids had the iPod on with the speakers, and by accident the Christmas song "Born is the King" by Hillsong came on, and she just lit up - started bopping her head around and dancing. By the end of the day she was singing to "do do do do" part! Christmas in June, in Africa. :)
- We think the indoor potty has become a novelty - she went like 6 times today, with a big grin each time, so we're thinking it was just fun for her.
- She got ahold of Mark's Uganda travel book and was enthralled by the section with pictures. We figured she probably hasn't seen many books, if any? So we went to the mall "bookstore" tonight (think more garage-sale-ish) and bought a couple picture books for her.
- She then hopped off the bed, took said book, and balanced it on her HEAD and walked across the room. Can you imagine our shock?
- This poor sweet girl is TIRED. She was here for a little over an hour and we could tell was struggling. So we got her to lay down, and sure enough, she was out for over 2 hours. It's obvious to us that she never has the opportunity for peace and quiet, and to be that comfortable. She LOVES pillows, which fits, because they don't have any at the orphanage.
- One negative, but not surprising, is she will hit when annoyed, and sometimes we can't even tell the reason. We know from training that this is totally typical - likely her survival and defense mechanism. We'll obviously work on it when we get home, but Jack wants it fixed NOW. :)
- We've discovered that sometimes its fun to just sit and watch what she'll do - let her lead, so to speak. I had a ponytail holder on my wrist, and she came up and took it off - put it on her wrist, and climbed on the bed behind me and proceeded to put my hair in a ponytail. Cutest thing ever. We were FLOORED. And of course laughing and praising her, but I think we got too loud because then she got scared. :(
- We got out the pictures we had printed to go in an album that we'll leave with her, and just went through a few of them. Our family picture is helpful in getting her to name us, which she did really well today. Then we got out a picture of Tucker, and she started laughing! Then came a picture of Murphy and she laughed harder. It was soooo cute. Can't IMAGINE what it will be like when she actually sees them.
So when we returned her, her "main" nanny was explaining to her that we'd be back in the morning. It didn't go well - the nanny told us she didn't want to stay there, she wanted to come with us. This is after only two full days with us! And exactly what I was worried about. I wouldn't want to stay there either. So please, please pray that God would protect her heart, give her peace, and give her some understanding that we'll be back.
Another interesting twist today - when we picked her up this morning, "mama" was there (the director), and she asked us if she could come with Maggie to our hotel and if we'd buy her lunch. ?!?!?? Stumbling on our words, we asked when, and she said "you pick." So we said Sunday, which she agreed upon, and we left. And I promptly got in touch with our attorney's office to see if this was normal, or what - they replied immediately and said NO, don't do that. (There are adoption laws in place that govern what we are allowed to give, or even gift to the orphanage and it's employees - it can't appear that we are "buying" a child, or paying for extra special care for her). They said they would call her and handle it, but we're a little bit worried now about what she thinks, and whether or not she'll cause a problem for us. Pray for that too! We need her to show up in court on Monday, and be favorable towards us.
Prior to all of THIS, we started our day at the U.S. Embassy - had to pick up a medical form that will need to be completed by a doctor after examining Maggie - which is required for our Embassy interview on our next trip. And let me tell you, that place is locked down like Fort Knox! Guards everywhere, and carrying machine guns! We weren't allowed to take ANYTHING with us inside except a bottle of water and our passports. (Talk about trusting Hamza - we left him with my purse and Mark's wallet!!). We think we counted 5 security checkpoints we had to go through! We were in and out fairly quickly, but while there, met another adoptive couple from Seattle - it was so GOOD to see some white people and carry on a conversation without struggle! They've been here THREE MONTHS trying to get their adoption completed - however, they have no agency, and had a terrible attorney. So we were thankful for Bethany and Nkwanga (the law firm)!! This family is staying really close to us, so we're going to get together on Sunday.
Whew! Ok, that's it, if you aren't asleep by now. I can't get our photos from yesterday and today to load, but will keep trying. Just keep checking the website. Love you all, and thank you again and again and again for your prayers! Anne :)
Day 5
We are now over a week into this crazy adventure, with one more week until we
are home! Today we all really
started missing some things - like FOOD. The boys sat here and reminisced about
their favorite restaurants until Noah was beside himself so I made them quit.
:) As for me, I'm missing my washing machine and dryer. Big time. There is a
laundry service here, so we've used that for our clothes, but we can't have them
wash underwear because it's disrespectful, I guess. So I washed underwear in a
garbage can and the bathroom sink today, using laundry detergent I brought from home. Great
fun. Not. I asked Mark if I'm a more official international traveler now that
I've washed clothes in the bathroom sink. And yes, I brought hospital-grade
bleach wipes to clean the sink afterwards. :) So we currently have underwear
hanging from everything in our two rooms, hoping it will dry.
Anyway, the boys and Mark went to get Maggie this morning because I wasn't feeling well (I've started my round of antibiotics and am doing better tonight). She had a bit of a rough day - we could tell she was tired the minute she got here, so we put her down for an early nap and she slept 1.5 - 2 hours. She also was hitting a lot more today - so we're going to email Renee (our local social worker) and ask her how to handle that at this point in the process. It's got to be really frustrating for her to not be able to communicate with us. She did have some good moments, though - she loves messing around on the Doodle Pro we brought - so Mark drew her his Vikings helmet, and said "Go Vikes!" Well she picked up on that right away and repeated him! And then proceeded to say it ALL DAY because she got such a response from all her boys. :) She also repeated "please" "thank you" and learned "bubbles" when we were blowing them outside. She loved chasing bubbles around. She seems to be improving on our names as well - - although I'm wondering if anything will really stick once we leave.
And that's about it for the "Maggie" summary. The days get long here, as we feel like do the same things over and over, but we've read that too much stimulation is not helpful for orphans. The employees here are in LOVE with her, as they are with Jack and Noah (we've decided they probably don't see many white kids - I can count on two hands the number of white adults we've seen since we entered the country!!). One sweet waitress tonight (ordered French fries from room service - we aren't living very dangerously) actually THANKED us for adopting her - she said it's so sad how many orphans there are here. She thanked us over and over.
Which brings me to another child of ours - Jack. He gave me permission to share this with you. He had been laying in their room for a LONG time just listening to his iPod, so I went in and laid down by him and asked him if everything was ok. That opened the floodgates, and that poor child cried and cried for almost 30 minutes until I could calm him down enough to talk to me. Frankly, he was scaring me, he was so upset. It turns out his heart has been ripped into pieces - he finally said "I just feel so bad for 'those kids' (the orphans) - they shouldn't have to go through that!" He was WRECKED. Those precious kids have gotten to him - like today, they all yelled "hi Jack and Noah!" each time they arrived, and "bye Jack and Noah!" when they left. They've really gotten under his skin. I had kind of been wondering what the boys thought about their living conditions - it's not good - and I think Jack's had it all bottled up this week. But the other issue he's having is he can't understand why we can't bring one more home - and he's dead serious - and so is Noah. They have been hammering at that issue every. single. day. So there's that. Uggh.
Lastly, we had a piece of REALLY GOOD news today, but I have to give you some background so you understand. When we come back for the 2nd trip, in order to get our Embassy interview scheduled, Maggie has to have an immigration physical. Well, lately families have had problems getting that scheduled when they arrive - for example, one family arrived here on Thursday. First on their agenda was to get the physical done - but they couldn't get an appointment until July 1st!!! So they are just SITTING here, with nothing to do until July 1. What a waste! So, we decided to get the physical done on THIS trip. Stella (our social worker) called for an appointment, but couldn't get one until Friday (not sure how we got in earlier than this other family?) - but we leave Thurs. So I went out on a limb and asked Stella if someone couldn't please take Maggie for us on Friday, as it would make a big difference for us on our next trip. She agreed! Couldn't believe it. So that will be a BIG step out of the way when we get here next time.
That's it for now - there's a major disco going on outside, so hoping we can sleep through it! We're supposed to get together with our Seattle friends tomorrow at a restaurant here - will be nice to hang out with some Americans. :)
Prayer requests - Pray for Maggie - that she wouldn't be confused, and would have peace when we leave her; protection of health for ALL of us; that Jack's broken heart would be mended; and that all our witnesses will show up on Monday.
Love to you all! Anne
Anyway, the boys and Mark went to get Maggie this morning because I wasn't feeling well (I've started my round of antibiotics and am doing better tonight). She had a bit of a rough day - we could tell she was tired the minute she got here, so we put her down for an early nap and she slept 1.5 - 2 hours. She also was hitting a lot more today - so we're going to email Renee (our local social worker) and ask her how to handle that at this point in the process. It's got to be really frustrating for her to not be able to communicate with us. She did have some good moments, though - she loves messing around on the Doodle Pro we brought - so Mark drew her his Vikings helmet, and said "Go Vikes!" Well she picked up on that right away and repeated him! And then proceeded to say it ALL DAY because she got such a response from all her boys. :) She also repeated "please" "thank you" and learned "bubbles" when we were blowing them outside. She loved chasing bubbles around. She seems to be improving on our names as well - - although I'm wondering if anything will really stick once we leave.
And that's about it for the "Maggie" summary. The days get long here, as we feel like do the same things over and over, but we've read that too much stimulation is not helpful for orphans. The employees here are in LOVE with her, as they are with Jack and Noah (we've decided they probably don't see many white kids - I can count on two hands the number of white adults we've seen since we entered the country!!). One sweet waitress tonight (ordered French fries from room service - we aren't living very dangerously) actually THANKED us for adopting her - she said it's so sad how many orphans there are here. She thanked us over and over.
Which brings me to another child of ours - Jack. He gave me permission to share this with you. He had been laying in their room for a LONG time just listening to his iPod, so I went in and laid down by him and asked him if everything was ok. That opened the floodgates, and that poor child cried and cried for almost 30 minutes until I could calm him down enough to talk to me. Frankly, he was scaring me, he was so upset. It turns out his heart has been ripped into pieces - he finally said "I just feel so bad for 'those kids' (the orphans) - they shouldn't have to go through that!" He was WRECKED. Those precious kids have gotten to him - like today, they all yelled "hi Jack and Noah!" each time they arrived, and "bye Jack and Noah!" when they left. They've really gotten under his skin. I had kind of been wondering what the boys thought about their living conditions - it's not good - and I think Jack's had it all bottled up this week. But the other issue he's having is he can't understand why we can't bring one more home - and he's dead serious - and so is Noah. They have been hammering at that issue every. single. day. So there's that. Uggh.
Lastly, we had a piece of REALLY GOOD news today, but I have to give you some background so you understand. When we come back for the 2nd trip, in order to get our Embassy interview scheduled, Maggie has to have an immigration physical. Well, lately families have had problems getting that scheduled when they arrive - for example, one family arrived here on Thursday. First on their agenda was to get the physical done - but they couldn't get an appointment until July 1st!!! So they are just SITTING here, with nothing to do until July 1. What a waste! So, we decided to get the physical done on THIS trip. Stella (our social worker) called for an appointment, but couldn't get one until Friday (not sure how we got in earlier than this other family?) - but we leave Thurs. So I went out on a limb and asked Stella if someone couldn't please take Maggie for us on Friday, as it would make a big difference for us on our next trip. She agreed! Couldn't believe it. So that will be a BIG step out of the way when we get here next time.
That's it for now - there's a major disco going on outside, so hoping we can sleep through it! We're supposed to get together with our Seattle friends tomorrow at a restaurant here - will be nice to hang out with some Americans. :)
Prayer requests - Pray for Maggie - that she wouldn't be confused, and would have peace when we leave her; protection of health for ALL of us; that Jack's broken heart would be mended; and that all our witnesses will show up on Monday.
Love to you all! Anne
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